The Beacon Hill Civic Association (BHCA) Safety Committee welcomes local law enforcement at a police meet-and-greet at 74 Joy St. on Thursday, Jan. 24, at 7 p.m. “We encourage residents to bring their concerns and get to know Sgt. Tom Lee and Captain Tom Lema, who will both be on hand to discuss the...
While the average tax bill for a single-family home in the city has climbed more than 5 percent in fiscal ’13, an increase in residential exemption will help Boston residents alleviate the burden. The average tax bill for a single-family home spiked to $3,480, marking a $175 increase over the previous fiscal year, while...
A group of families, residents and supporters are taking a proactive approach to bringing a new public elementary school to serve downtown neighborhoods, even helping the city to identify possible sites for the proposed educational institute. The newly established Downtown Schools for Boston focuses on neighborhoods that currently have no primary schools, including Back...
Moonshine & Memories, Beacon Hill Civic Association’s 41st Annual Winter Gala, looks back at 90 years on Beacon Hill, and takes guests to Prohibition-era Boston. The Winter Gala Committee is excited to announce an exciting new partnership this year. Kickass Cupcakes, located in Somerville, has graciously donated 250 mini-cupcakes to help round out the...
The Beacon Hill Civic Association and Beacon Hill Village invite you to an early evening lecture tomorrow, Wednesday, January 23 at 6:00 pm at The Firehouse, 127 Mount Vernon Street. Elliott Laffer, Executive Director of the Boston Groundwater Trust, will explain the history of the groundwater in Boston and its particular relevance to the...
For those of us of a certain age, it is hard to imagine that 2013 will mark 45 years since the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King in Memphis while he was standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. Recalling the news of his murder still brings chills and a deep sense...
Everything in life has its pluses and minuses. But in our view, whatever the pluses may be of Gov. Deval Patrick’s proposal to eliminate the 240 local housing authorities and consolidate them into six regional offices are far outweighed by the negatives. We simply would note that it has been our experience that corruption...
Fire 01/11/13 – A Revere Street resident reported she started a log fire in the fireplace and the chimney caught fire at about 5:07 p.m. Boston firefighters responded to the scene and extinguished the blaze. Minimum damage was reported to the fireplace and chimney. Incidents Jan. 8 7 Phillips St. – Verbal Dispute Jan....
JP Licks is the local afterschool watering hole for Advent students; and now that their artwork is on display, they’ll be stampeding to the ice cream parlor on Charles St. to behold their creations. Two-hundred and eighteen lion-themed watercolors, crayon drawings, acrylic paintings, and ceramic sculptures were made by Advent students to commemorate their...
Beacon Hill experienced an approximately 6-percent reduction in violent and property crimes in 2012 from the previous year, faring slightly better than the city as a whole, which saw a 5-percent drop during the same timeframe. “We saw a good decrease in crime on Beacon Hill, although there were a couple of violent incidents,...
The Beacon Hill Civic Association (BHCA) Zoning and Licensing Committee voted Wednesday not to oppose the zoning relief necessary to convert a long vacant storefront in a residential building at 31 Phillips St. into office space. Michelle Nolan, an occupant of the eight-unit apartment building at Anderson and Phillips streets and legal guardian for...
Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon 01/04/13 – A victim reported while walking on Grove Street at around 2:30 a.m., he was struck in the head by an unknown object. A search of the area by officers turned up nothing. The victim transported to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) for treatment of a head...
Local kids have been living a dream last season. The Titans, a parent organized youth baseball club has brought the excitement and challenge of U12 travel baseball to downtown Boston. Starting with tryouts that occurred in June, 10-12 year old baseball players from the Hill House Little League, pounded base hits, covered bases, dove...
The Whitebarked Himalayan Birch shines in the winter. It is said to have the whitest and most beautiful bark of all the birches. This variety was discovered by Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker during a mid-1800s trip to Tibet.
The Beacon Hill Civic Association Young Professionals have recognized two individuals who have made a significant contribution to the community of Beacon Hill. The Young Professionals Award was formally presented to Jason Winmill and Ingrid Calder in December 2012 by Meghan Haggerty, the group’s president. The Beacon Hill Civic Association Young Professionals, a group...
The Esplanade Playspace opened a little more than a year ago, but the state-of-the-art playground has already gained national prominence, even gracing the pages of the Wall Street Journal in November. “This is now becoming the new standard for play in this country,” said Tani Marinovich, who co-founded the Playspace with Jean Egan and...
At-Large City Councilor Stephen Murphy was unanimously elected by the council Monday to serve another two-year term as the body’s president. After being elected Murphy immediately appointed Beacon Hill City Councilor Sal LaMattina to serve another two-year term as his vice president. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to again lead the body,” said...
We wish to add our voice to the chorus of residents who have been delighted to see the return of Mayor Tom Menino to his office at City Hall. For one thing, it will be a relief to see an end to the speculation about this or that possible scenario by the pundits and...
We wish to take this opportunity to thank the many volunteers Sunday who helped take down the garlands and other festive decorations that adorned the street lamps throughout Beacon Hill during this past holiday season. We wish also to thank Hampshire House proprietor Tom Kershaw for providing breakfast to those who did the work...
Larceny from a Motor Vehicle 12/29/12 – At around 2 a.m., a victim reported the passenger’s side window of his 2006 Toyota was broken and an iPhone, laptop and backpack were stolen from the vehicle. Incidents Dec. 26 42 Beacon St. – Vandalism Dec. 27 Charles Street Violation of the Auto Laws –...
• On Jan. 4, nearly 200 citizens braved the cold to voice their strong opposition to Capital One Bank’s proposed move to the home of the Charles Street Market at 62-66 Charles St. at a Beacon Hill Civic Association (BHCA) Zoning and Licensing Committee meeting. • On Jan. 6, William Onuoha stepped down as...
Meet at 10 a.m. on Sunday, January 6 for a delicious Pancake Breakfast hosted by Tom Kershaw, at the Hampshire House, 84 Beacon Street. Then, join neighbors as they take down the gas lamp post decorations. No skill is required, and helpers are greatly appreciated. It’s half the time and half the trouble to...
With the holidays in the rear view mirror, Beacon Hill residents can kick their trees to the curb for composting during the next two weeks. Boston’s Public Works Department will collect Christmas trees for composting from January 7 to January 18. Remove all ornaments, decorations, and stands from trees and do not put trees...
The Winter 2013 Concert Series at the Boston Athenæum, featuring pianist and composer Aaron Jackson, will include music of Beethoven, Smetana, Bartók, Janácek, Berg, Gorecki, Babbitt, Shifrin and Jackson, among others. The Capital Trio will perform on Feb. 8, and cellist Adrienne Taylor will join Jackson on March 16. All concerts will take place...